Offender death reported in Cameron

A man convicted of child sex crimes has died of apparent natural causes behind bars.

The Missouri Department of Corrections said on Saturday, Lawrence Browning was pronounced dead at the Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron at 1:21 p.m.

Browning was a 71-year-old serving a life sentence for three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, two counts of first-degree attempted statutory sodomy, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor child, and possession of child pornography from Clay County. Browning was received in the Missouri Department of Corrections on Feb. 25, 2015.